“From the 5th to 18th of Novembre”
We settle in Muizenberg for surfing and hiking
Located at the corner of False Bay, one of the largest bays in the world, Muizenberg Beach is Cape Town’s universal surf spot. The swell entering the bay forms long waves that surfers can share. The waves break lengthwise at different levels of the shore. You can walk far enough back to get to the first waves, which are ideal for starting out and warming up. The effort of getting behind the last row is rewarded with longer rides on bigger waves.
When surfing, you always have to pay attention to the weather. The surf conditions depend strongly of the wind direction. We were blessed the first 2 days with an off shore wind, it means coming from the land, drawing clean waves.
“I (Valentin) am grateful for the kindness of the people who helped me get geared up. The host of our Airbnb lent me a board and Alexandre, a cousin we met when we arrived in Cape Town, a wetsuit. The board is a 7″4 like the one I was using this summer in the Landes (France west coast). Now, I have the freedom to surf at any time.”
Unfortunately there are no pictures of Laurène because the photographer was also on a board when she manages to catch some nice waves.
Cape Town and its peninsula could be considered an island. Due to its topography, the point is surrounded by oceans. This is a blessing for surfing as the wind will almost always blow in the right direction on one of the beaches either to the south, east or west. We experienced this on a Saturday when the wind was crushing the waves at Muizenberg. Alexander took us surfing in Kommitjie on the other side of the mountains, directly into the Atlantic Ocean.
The beautiful mountains surrounding our accommodation are full of hiking trails through the fynbos. These are endemic bushes in the Cape region.
The paths are surrounded by flowering groves, giant natural bouquets as Valentin would say. At each hike, we discover new varieties, depending on the humidity level and the rocks present in these mountains.
Near small waterfalls, we discover beautiful rainforests and only 200m further on a much more arid landscape with perennial plants. From the top of these mountains, the views are magical. It is from here that shark spotters watch for the slightest sign of the famous white sharks, which are dangerous for humans. In recent years, fewer and fewer individuals have been recorded in the Cape region. In fact, some of the shark dive sites are turning to other shark species. One possible explanation is the arrival of killer whales near these shores. Indeed, several white sharks have been found stranded dead. And their livers had been eaten by an orca.
This magnificent show does not please my pollen-allergies… I (Laurène) often end up with a constant running nose the next day.
We had the chance to walk, cycle and drive along the coast with Alexandre as our guide. We saw surfers, swimmers and fishermen. In the harbour, two seals are doing the show while waiting for the fishermen to throw the fish carcasses in the water. They swim one eye out of the water to watch us.
African Overlanders Farm
We learn that our van will be delayed again. The ship is not far away and we want to limit our expenses. After 9 days in Muizenberg, we decide to go camping from Friday 12th onwards on the farm of Duncan from African Overlanders. He takes care of the shipping of our van. We discover a farm in the middle of the fields full of Defenders and Land Rovers, not far from a township. An Overlander’s paradise. There is something for everyone! Many Europeans leave their vehicles and come back for the holidays. At the peak of the covid, more than 90 vehicles were stored here waiting to hit the road.
The farm is located a few kilometres from Stellenbosch. The region is known for its vineyards, which we can already see from our campsite. We take advantage of the free days we have to discover some of them. Some of the wines are very good, we discover some grape varieties that we didn’t know before like pinotage. Unfortunately, we won’t have the opportunity to taste the wine of this couple we met during a braai the day after our arrival (cf. Article #1)
The ship arrived on Monday 15 November and docked directly in the port of Cape Town. This was fortunate because some ships were still waiting several days before being admitted. We then learn that the wait is not over. All containers must first be unloaded before the carrier can enter the port. The carrier then has to make an appointment to enter the port, collect the container and take it to Duncan.
After two days without news, we learn that the carrier has an appointment at 2pm the next day (Wednesday) to enter the port. We believe it, tomorrow we will get Uyo!
The next day, at 4pm, we learn that the truck is in the port but still not loaded. Two hours later, still nothing. It’s getting dark and Duncan doesn’t want the truck to arrive at night: too complicated to unload the container. With Olle and Henriette, we accept that our vehicles will not arrive today.
These few days at Duncan’s house allowed us to meet people who share the same passion for travel. The moments of exchange, feedback and advice will be very precious for the rest of our adventure. It was also an opportunity to discuss complicated and interesting subjects such as the image of Africa in Europe, the inequalities in South Africa,…
“On Thursday mornings, I (Laurene) wake up several times partly because of allergies but excitement also plays a role. I watch for noises outside. I know that the truck should arrive this morning. I think I hear a horn so I wake Valentin up. Too excited to wait for him, I get out of the tent to meet our container. There is indeed a truck waiting at the gate but comparing the container numbers, I realize that it is not ours. Disappointment… we’ll have to be patient again… “
Duncan explains that our container could not be loaded the day before because of the strong wind. The container was starting to sway, so they decided to wait until the next day.
The carrier now has a new appointment to enter the port: 11am. At 1pm, the container is still not loaded. At 2pm a horn sounds in the yard. It’s him!
Olle, Henriette, Val and I are all very excited. Four children on Christmas Day. We all take out our mobile phones and cameras to immortalise this moment. It’s a great moment of sharing that we will remember for a long time.
Let’s hit the roads in Africa!
